Waiting for Messi: Disappointed fans watch young Inter Miami side battle for 2-2 draw in D.C.

Mateo Gutierrez paid close to $100 a month ago for a ticket to watch Lionel Messi play at Audi Field. Sitting in the nosebleeds of the stadium, the 28-year-old instead watched Messi’s future team — Inter Miami — grind out a 2-2 draw on Saturday night. The performance did not appear to win him over.

Advertisement

“I’ll come next year,” said an entirely unimpressed Gutierrez, who was attending his first-ever MLS match, “assuming Messi is here.” 

Gutierrez likely wasn’t the only one in the crowd of 19,215 who probably paid a premium for the chance to see Messi play. When news of the Argentine’s arrival in MLS first broke, there were varying reports as to when he might make his debut. D.C. certainly felt like a possibility, at least initially. In a matter of days, United sold thousands of tickets for the match and many more exchanged hands on the secondary market at inflated prices . The stands were filled with Messi fans wearing his Barcelona and Argentina shirts.

But then Messi took his family to the Bahamas for a vacation and everybody learned that — if all goes to plan — he won’t make his debut until July 21st, weeks after Miami’s date in D.C. 

The 2-2 draw on Saturday night was entertaining — a bit unusual for any MLS match played in the dog days of the middle of the season. Both teams struggled to manufacture early chances amidst the heat and humidity. D.C. probably had the best chance of the first half, a perfectly-played through ball from Nottingham Forest loanee Lewis O’Brien that D.C. striker Christian Benteke did poorly with in the 40th minute. Just before halftime, a D.C. goal was waved off when Benteke was ruled offside.

Early on, Miami looked largely disjointed and devoid of ideas. The team is sure to